Volume 1, Chapter 24 – Lu Zhuxin’s Script

"Mark… what does that mean?"

The little fox demon's pale wrists were bitten until crimson, evidence of her desperate attempt to resist the urges of her estrus. A surge of sympathy coursed through Song Shiyuan.

Yet, the fox demon's earlier question puzzled her.

Why was she tilting her head, exposing her delicate shoulders and neck?

It felt like an invitation, a silent plea for something beyond mere words.

Song Shiyuan was lost. The books she had perused offered no guidance on such matters.

Moreover, she couldn't maintain her gaze on the little fox demon for long. The intoxicating pheromones stirred primal instincts within her, igniting a tumult of unsettling thoughts.

Each moment her eyes lingered brought forth visions she couldn't bear.

Shame washed over her.

Song Shiyuan, you're a heterosexual adult woman! How could you entertain these twisted thoughts about this innocent creature?

She's a newly transformed single-tailed fox demon—a child by human standards1!

With a forceful effort, she averted her gaze.

But even then, those strange images persisted.

The little fox demon's vulnerable, honest expression, her soft, pleading whimpers…

The tender brush of the little fox's lips against her own…

And that haunting dream from the night before, where the little fox was pinned down, hurt and broken…

If only the man in that dream were her…

Hiss!

The fire in her lower abdomen flared even more intensely!

It's all because of these damn fox pheromones!

I can't think about this anymore!

Song Shiyuan bit down on her lower lip, mimicking the little fox demon's actions. The sharp pain brought fleeting clarity. "Little fox demon… is there really no way to solve this?"

"Every fox demon experiences estrus, so there must be other ways to cope with it within your kind, right!?"

Lu Zhuxin shot an irritated glare at the oblivious sword practitioner. "Didn't you even look at the things I prepared for you?"

Unable to hear clearly, Song Shiyuan turned her head. "Huh? Could you repeat that again?"

The little fox demon hesitated, her gaze dropping.

Then, with a sudden bite to her wrist, she drew blood, panting heavily. She didn't bother to wipe the crimson from her lips as she looked back up and said. "Sister, please leave."

"Let Ah Xi… endure it alone… it will pass."

Endure it alone?

Does she want to bear this pain by herself?

Yes, rationally speaking, leaving the little fox alone here was the best solution.

Once Song Shiyuan departed, she would be free from the pheromones' effect and return to her normal state.

If Song Shiyuan hadn't witnessed the little fox biting her wrist, she might have done just that.

A new worry crept in after seeing the little fox in such a frantic state during her estrus. If left alone to endure the intense urges that came with her heat, the little fox might truly bite her hand off.

Highly cultivated beings could regenerate severed limbs, but the little fox was still at the Qi Refining stage—she couldn't regenerate. If she lost a limb now, recovery would be an arduous challenge.

And all of these developments stemmed from… Song Shiyuan's own actions.

Sigh…

She had brought the little fox here tonight with ulterior motives.

She intended to use the little fox demon to lift the collar's restrictions. To justify this, she had treated the little fox's injuries with the utmost care, allowing herself to act with a clear conscience.

She had planned to execute her scheme tonight, exploiting the innocence of the little fox in the process.

It was this urgent, self-serving calculation that had led to the current predicament.

It was her fault.

Guilt and responsibility gripped her, preventing her from abandoning the innocent little fox.

"I can leave…" Song Shiyuan said, "But is there truly no other way to address a fox demon's estrus?"

"At least to ease the pain…"

The little fox demon looked at her, hesitated, then shook her head once more.

"No need, Sister Shiyuan. Ah Xi knows you don't like fox demons and despise being near them…"

"It's Ah Xi's own stupidity and greed that made Ah Xi cling to you, leading to this…"

"So let's not… use that method."

As she gazed at the little fox demon, a strange pang of sadness gripped Song Shiyuan.

Was she that transparent?

Though the little fox was naive, she perceived everything with clarity.

Even so, the little fox was still considering her feelings.

She sighed, "If there's a way, tell me. Don't endure this alone."

"If I can, I'll do my utmost to help you."

"I may not like fox demons, but…"

Song Shiyuan locked her gaze onto the little fox demon, her expression unwavering and sincere.

"I don't dislike you."

The little fox demon gazed up at her with bright eyes, radiating gratitude, a heavy blush adorning her cheeks.

With a mere glance, people could tell that she was about to pounce.

"Sister Shiyuan… thank you! You're such a wonderful person!"

The sincerity in her voice was overwhelming; Song Shiyuan felt her composure slip and quickly averted her gaze.

"I'm not…"

…

Lu Zhuxin had crafted the concept of a fox demon's estrus period primarily to add a dash of spice to her smut.

As an avid enthusiast of fox girls, she had populated the male protagonist's harem with an array of foxes.

Drawing inspiration from the ABO genre, the solution for the estrus period was quite similar.

One could either employ an inhibitor to suppress the surging desire or embed a mark to soothe it.

But why would smut need an inhibitor? Lu Zhuxin soon deemed that element unnecessary and left it out.

[Heh…]

?

Lu Zhuxin sent a question mark to the system in response.

"Thus, the sword practitioner merely needs to utilize a sword cultivation technique to plant a pure yang mark within the fox demon's body, soothing the heightened arousal brought on by her estrus."

Lu Zhuxin briefly outlined the method for Song Shiyuan.

Song Shiyuan frowned at the explanation.

This technique was hardly challenging; any competent sword practitioner could manage it.

However, the real complication lay in the close contact required to plant the mark on the little fox demon.

And the most troublesome aspect was…

…

[Host, that's your scheme from the start.]

Lu Zhuxin chuckled softly. "I thought you were in Do Not Disturb mode?"

[I was curious about your antics, and it seems you're up to something rather naughty. You plan to exploit her guilt and sense of duty, enticing her to breach her moral boundaries and engage in a mental affair.]

The system had discerned Lu Zhuxin's intentions with uncanny precision.

Lu Zhuxin smirked inwardly. "How can this be labeled a mental affair? Song Shiyuan is a mature, single woman; this is entirely consensual. I merely wish to surprise her a little."

[Heh…]

This host truly lacks any sense of morality.

Song Shiyuan hesitated, her brow furrowing as she posed her question.

"If a fox demon gets too close to a pure yang sword practitioner during estrus, she is likely to absorb too much yang energy, forming a spirit fetus in her womb."

Lu Zhuxin responded with a reassuring nod.

"So, as long as the amount of yang energy is controlled, and the distance is maintained to avoid excessive intimacy, a spirit fetus won't be formed, right?"

"Yes!" Lu Zhuxin affirmed.

[Lies.]

The system rebuked.

This might be true for ordinary fox demons in estrus. Mere skin-to-skin contact posed no real threat. Only deep, intimate contact would lead to pregnancy.

But Lu Zhuxin wasn't just any fox demon. She was playing a newly transformed little fox demon, caught in the throes of her initial estrus.

In the world Lu Zhuxin had crafted, this phase was pivotal. It marked a fox demon's transition from childhood to maturity, enabling the possibility of childbearing.

During this time, if a pure yang mark is planted, the fox demon's body would instinctively absorb it into her womb, resulting in a spirit fetus.

If Song Shiyuan had taken the time to consult any fox demon or even glanced at the 'educational materials' Lu Zhuxin had meticulously prepared, she would have discovered this crucial detail.

Instead, those materials had been tossed aside by Song Shiyuan as if they were worthless scraps.

And she couldn't approach other fox demons for answers.

Thus, Song Shiyuan remained blissfully ignorant of the unique nature of her initial estrus.

Why was Lu Zhuxin so acutely aware of this? In the original narrative, she had penned the tale of a newly transformed little fox demon who bore a child with the male lead, Song Shixuan, through this very method.

Now, if Song Shiyuan simply nodded, Lu Zhuxin was poised to deliver a very big surprise.

She had meticulously crafted this plan since the onset of her 'estrus'.

[Fake pregnancy.]